Embark on an incredible 8-day diving and island hopping experience in beautiful Galapagos and discover all its unbelievable natural diversity and breathtaking landscapes.
Today you can select from one three diving tours, each going to different areas and where you'll have the chance to spot different types of wildlife - from the blue and red footed boobies, to sharks, turtles, rays and more!
Take a Diving Tour (B/L)
Today you can enjoy one of the below diving tours (take your pick). Please note these Galapagos itineraries are subject to change due to climatic conditions or Galapagos National Park decisions, and the tour might be shared with other people.
Kicker Rock (León Dormido):
You will take a small boat in the morning and set sail for the lava formation in the middle of the ocean called Kicker Rock (León Dormido which means “sleeping lion” in Spanish as they say it looks like). First, you will circle around the rock formation to observe the different bird species that use the rock formation as a resting or nesting place. Afterwards, the boat will anchor and you will jump off the boat to dive into the canal in between the rock formations. Beware that the currents can be strong and that you will be diving in open waters without being able to see the bottom. Here you will be able to spot different shark species (sometimes even hammerheads!), turtles, rays and more. In some seasons you might encounter jellyfish which can sting, however a wetsuit will be provided when this is the case. After the diving you will continue to Manglecito or a similar beach and enjoy a lunch box on board. At Manglecito, you will have the chance to walk around a white coral beach, relax and swim in shallow waters before returning to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno.
Punta Pitt:
In the morning you will leave around 07.30 from the dock and set sail for the Northern point of the island San Cristobal, Punta Pitt. This tour is the ultimate tour for those who would like to observe the blue footed boobies, but also the infamous red footed boobies. A guide of the National Park will explain to you all about the flora, fauna, and animals. Fregatbirds can also be spotted during this beautiful walk on the island. A well- deserved lunch will be served at the boat after this rewarding walk. You will head for diving at Bahía Sardina. Then your tour will bring you to Cerro Brujo (Witch Hill) and you will see the León Dormido from a distance, a large rock formation made of lava that looks like a sleeping lion, hence the name. During the day, you will also enjoy some snacks and drinks provided. At the end of the day you will return to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno.
Española Island:
At 07:30 you will depart from the harbor of San Cristóbal with the destination of Española Island. After 2 hours, the boat arrives at Punta Suarez, where you will go on land for a walk of about 2 hours. During the walk you will be able to see lots of birds like the Española albatross, blue-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, the Española mockingbird (which has a longer and more curved beak than the one on the central islands), tropical birds and hawks. Many red-green iguanas and colonies of sea lions can also be found on this island. Continuing inland, the trail leads to a cliff on the southern side of the island overlooking the ocean. Waves crash into a lava fissure, creating a blowhole that sprays water nearly 30m into the air at high tide. After the hike you will return to the boat that navigates to the other side of the island where Gardner Bay is located. Here you will have the chance to go diving for about 1,5 hour. You will marvel at schools of large colorful tropical fish, including yellow-tailed surgeonfish, king angelfish and the bump-head parrotfish. A few underwater caves teem with wildlife, and there are rocky walls covered with various invertebrate species. The occasional massive manta ray or spotted eagle ray may glide by as white-tipped reef sharks nap on the ocean floor in rocky areas. This diving site also offers a wonderful chance to swim with playful sea lions. Afterwards you will have lunch on board. All the activities will be accompanied by a naturalist guide who will explain the visited sites and answer all your questions. The return to San Cristóbal will be between 4.30 and 5.00pm.
Today and tomorrow, you can pick from a range of different daily diving tour - there are over 10 different options to choose from! Dive with reef fishes, turtles, seahorses, sealions, pufferfish and you may even spot a penguin or two.
Take a Diving Tour (B/L)
Today you can enjoy a diving tour (choose an option). Please note all Galapagos itineraries are subject to change due to climatic conditions or Galapagos National Park decisions. The tour might be shared with other people.
Bartholome:
Location: Located east of Santiago Island, a small Island with the famous Bartholomew pinnacle, dive sites located at 1 hour and a half from Itabaca Channel (North side of Santa Cruz Island).
Site Conditions: Moderate currents. A platform is found at approximately 10 meters of depth where a variety of reef fishes reside. On the edge of this platform there are underwater cliffs which start at about 15 meters deep with good probabilities to observe pelagic species. Activity: White tip reef shark, reef fishes, barracudas, turtles, modulas, sting rays, variety of invertebrates.
Cousins:
Location: North-east of Santiago island near Bartholomew island. Dive sites located at 1 hour and a half from Itabaca Channel (North side of Santa Cruz Island). Site Conditions: Normally there are no strong currents at this site; this is partly a reef dive, partly a wall dive where the endemic black coral is found. Activity: Cleaning station, sea horses, barracudas, sea lions, Galapagos sharks, white tip reef shark, turtles, reef fishes, sting rays, eagle rays, variety of invertebrates. At surface interval penguins can be observed.
Daphne:
Location: North of Santa Cruz Island, an exposed rock, one dive site located 30 minutes from Itabaca Channel (North side of Santa Cruz Island).
Site Conditions: Normally there are no strong currents at this site, rocky and sandy bottom.
Activity: here we find a small cave (this is NOT a cave dive) where white tip ref. sharks rest, additionally there is a pinnacle where we find a diversity of rays, Galápagos shark, turtles, coral reef fishes, barracudas, black coral walls and a variety of invertebrates.
Floreana:
Location: South of Santa Cruz Island, 3 possible dive sites: Punta Cormorant, Champion and Enderby; it is 1 hour and a half away from our base. Site Conditions: mean depth of 18 mtr. Normally this site does not present strong currents. This is a reef dive site where corals and sponges can be found. Activity: Cleaning station, sea lions, Galapagos sharks, white tip reef shark, turtles, reef fishes, sting rays, eagle rays, barracudas, variety of invertebrates.
Gordon Rocks:
(minimum experience to participate: 25 logged dives or the previous evaluation of our dive guides at another site). Location: North of Santa Cruz Island, 2 dive sites located 30 minutes from Itabaca Channel (North side of Santa Cruz Island).Site Conditions: This rock formation is a world renowned site, for intermediate and advanced divers due to the strong currents and surge. Activity: Hammerhead shark, cleaning station, Galapagos sharks, white tip reef shark, mobulas, turtles, reef fishes, sting rays, eagle rays, Galapagos eel, barracudas, variety of invertebrates.
Mosquera (North):
Location: North of Santa Cruz Island between North Seymour Island and Baltra Island. This is an islet that emerges from the sea (sand bar), one dive site located 25 minutes from Itabaca Channel (North side of Santa Cruz island). Site Conditions: Normally there are no strong currents, sandy bottom between 10 meters with garden eels and pelagic species. North Mosquera presents a sandy rock area that connects with Seymour channel where must be found reef fishes and tintoreras rest. Activity: Hammerhead sharks, Galapagos shark, black tip reef shark, white tip reef shark, sea lions, turtles, barracudas, reef fishes, sting rays, eagle rays, mobulas, Galápagos eel, variety of invertebrates.
Mosquera (South):
Location: North of Santa Cruz Island between north Seymour Island and Baltra Island, this is an islet that emerges from the sea (sand bar), one dive site located 25 minutes from Itabaca Channel (North side of Santa Cruz island). Site Conditions: There are not strong currents; a big reef of 5 meters with an inclination ravine of 18mtr with black coral and mollusks invertebrates; there is also a submarine canyon from18 meters with pelagic species. Activity: Hammerhead sharks, black tip reef shark, white tip reef shark, sea lions, turtles, barracudas, reef fishes, sting rays, eagle rays, mobulas, Galápagos eel, variety of invertebrates.
Seymour (Channel):
Location: North of Santa Cruz Island, 2 dive sites located 25 minutes from Itabaca Channel (North side of Santa Cruz Island). Site Conditions: For all levels of divers, although sometimes there can be strong currents, platform reefs with a diversity of fish species, has sandy bottom with10 meters reef where there is a lot of tintoreras sharks and fish cleaning station. Activity: Cleaning station, sea lions, Galapagos sharks, white/ black tip reef shark, hammerhead shark, mobulas, turtles, reef fishes, sting rays, eagle rays, Galapagos eel, barracudas, variety of invertebrates.
Seymour (Point):
Location: North of Santa Cruz Island, located 30 minutes from Itabaca Channel (North side of Santa Cruz Island). Site Conditions: It is a point a little more difficult in relation to Channel Seymour. Rocky bottom with small caves 12mtr where you can find turtles or sharks resting stripes; can occur currents a little strong, diving is mixed this means that the dive is in the coast and then goes to the blue to look pelagic animals, at the end of the diving there are a platform where are shark splaying with the flow and cleaning station. Activity: Cleaning station, sea lions, Galapagos sharks, white tip reef shark, hammerhead shark, mobulas, turtles, reef fishes, sting rays, eagle rays, Galapagos eel, barracudas, variety of invertebrates.
Plazas:
Location: Off east coast of Santa Cruz. Deph Range: Surface to 14 m (45 ft) Visibility: 12-15 m (40-50 ft). Current: Slight. Surge: Light. North and South Plaza were uplifted from the seafloor and are very old islands, in the neighborhood of 3,000,000 years old. Currently, visitors are forbidden to go ashore on North Plaza, but diving off the backside of North Plaza is a nice, easy and relaxing dive, with relatively little current or surge. The dive usually begins along the center of the north shore, where a boulder slope with a gradual incline falls to a sand bottom at about 24m (80 ft) white- tipped reef sharks, marble and diamond rays, and waving fields of Galapagos garden eels are found in sandy patches throughout this boulder slope. Activity: Most of the action takes place in the first 14 m (45 ft). There are huge schools of yellowtail surgeonfish yellow tailed mullets and lots of parrotfish in the shallows. You are more likely to see pelagic, including hammerheads and Galápagos sharks, at the eastern end of the islet. This eastern point can be very good, especially in the warm season (January- May in particular) because cross- currents can bring in manta rays, and even snorkelers can enjoy a lengthy swim with these marvelous creatures. Solitary whale sharks occasionally visit in the hot season Whether snorkeling or diving, sea lions become constant “buddies”.
Guy Fawkes:
Location: Off NW coast of Santa Cruz. Site Conditions: Guy Fawkes is the remains of two adjacent tuff cones protruding above the water. The crescent / shaped edges face into the current, which comes from the south, so the walls on the leeward sides are protected. This dive is suitable for beginning to intermediate divers. Visibility is usually pretty good and the site is almost always protected from currents and heavy seas. The back side of the eastern crescent is a sheer to steeply sloping wall adorned with black coral. Activity: Although the marine life is varied, there are rarely any pelagics because of the lack of current. Divers will see schools of grunts, yellowtail surgeonfish, and yellowtail snapper. Rays, white- tipped reef sharks, green turtles and moray eels are fairly common, too. Sea lions join divers on their visit and bottom fishes, such as king angelfish, puffers, creolefish, damsels, butterflyfish, blennies, and parrotfish are all common. However, overfishing has reduced the number of many other fish commonly encountered in other sites in the Galapagos.